Bets was deathly pale as he clutched his ravaged side, the flesh around his wound turned green and infected. Under his nails, maggots had started eating away at his dead skin. A chill went down my spine at the sight, but I tried to keep a calm and clear head, which proved harder than I anticipated.
After using Perfect Me for a couple of seconds to investigate for underlying injuries or poisons, I took out a needle and string and started stitching up my friend, his warm blood got on my hands.
Being an exorcist was dangerous, but it was still difficult to accept when those close to me were injured like this.
"Master, there are demons closing in on us," Carpy informed me.
Lost in thought, I stared at Bets' forehead for a few seconds; he had some wrinkles, and upon closer inspection, his skin looked thinner and paler. These must be symptoms of dehydration.
"Take care of them," I said to Carpy. "Gem, don't intervene, and keep an eye on Bets. I need to blow off some steam."
Despite my anger, I felt strangely calm. Maybe after all this time, I was becoming more accustomed to killing things than dealing with those close to me almost dying. Deep down, a cold and logical part of me knew that someone close to me might eventually die. It was inevitable in this line of work, and it was statistically likely that people I cared about would eventually perish.
Of course, there was a solution to that problem. It was the same solution to every other problem too: become ridiculously strong, such that no one would dare to act against me - that was absolute power.
The demons came out of their hiding, and started running toward us. There were five mid-class demons led by a werewolf-looking demon that was high-class. Carpy shot out water blades from all directions.
The werewolf demon crouched down and dug his hands into the ground, as the leaves on each tree began to swish strangely. They all then snapped off the branches and flew as if they had a mind of their own, forming a tornado around the demons with the werewolf demon at the center.
When the leaves and water clashed, they canceled each other out, rendering Carpy's attack ineffective. It seemed that despite his power, Carpy was still a middle-class demon, and that was not something he could change anytime soon. But I did not hold it against him; it was not like I could fight against a high-class demon without my cursed sword and Perfect Me either, and even then, I could lose without the sword.
The werewolf demon opened his mouth to say something, but I pointed my fist at Carpy, and he wrapped his tail around my arm. His flesh melted into mine, scales grew around my body, and a serpentine tail emerged from my tailbone.
{Perfect Me: Metamorphosis!}
Despite our weaknesses as separate individuals, when Carpy and I fused, we became something else entirely. Sensing the breath of life, everything around me felt different, and I couldn't help but smile.
The werewolf demon smirked. “Heh, it seems like--"
I didn't care what he was about to say, and I tried to take the water out of the leaves he was controlling. It became a battle of Ord control, but it didn't last even half a second as the leaves withered and fell to the ground, and the water that came out of them turned into water bullets that rained down on the demons.
The high class werewolf demon maneuvered himself around the attack, and every time he was hit, he could somewhat brush it off due to his endurance.
“Who would have expected that a fusion with a middle class demon could lead to this,” the wolf demon said, breathing heavily and drooling saliva.
This gave me an idea as I activated Perfect Me.
“Ugh!” The werewolf demon clutched at his neck as I controlled the saliva in his mouth to choke him to death. But he drummed his chest, causing the spit to shoot out like a bullet, and he was finally able to breathe. “What an annoying duo.”
If he thought this was annoying, he should fight us close to the sea. He would stand no chance there. Though I was a little low on Ord due to defending against Uwabami's attack earlier, I still had some left. With the Ord control granted by Perfect Me, every blade of grass, leaf, and tree withered up within a twenty-meter radius around us. The water inside them formed into a giant water bubble and then transformed into hundreds of water arrows.
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The arrows rained down, and the werewolf demon punched them in mid-air with a flurry of attacks that I could barely see. But before he could finish, a water blade cut his leg right up to his knee, causing him to stumble. “Damn!”
Such a small distraction was enough to cause him to lose concentration, and the water he had scattered on the ground by punching the previous water blades gathered again and formed into new water blades. It took a dozen seconds before the blades started landing, and cuts began appearing on the demon’s body.
The werewolf demon's demise was swift and brutal, his body torn apart by the onslaught of water attacks. As the last of his remains hit the ground, I deactivated Perfect Me and Carpy, and we separated.
Reality hit hard as I realized that my time with Perfect Me had drained my Ord reserves. If another demon were to appear, I might not have enough energy left to defend myself.
"Any ideas on where we can hide out for a while?" I asked Gem, Bets, and Carpy. "I'm low on Ord, and we need a safe place to rest and recuperate."
Bets spoke up. "I know of a spot where the patrols usually rest. It's a bit north of here, and I've memorized the map."
I breathed a sigh of relief. Being among other exorcists would provide a sense of security, at least for a day or two, while I replenished my Ord reserves. But with my high level of Ord, it could take longer than usual to recover, and that thought weighed heavily on my mind.
…
With Bets enclosed in a water bubble that Carpy struggled to maintain, we traversed through the mountains until we reached the edge of a cliff, I looked down and couldn’t see the end of it, but there was a cavern nestled on its side.
"Looks like there are people inside," Carpy informed us.
"How many?" I asked.
"One hundred and twenty-two people," Carpy replied. "Many of them appear to be injured. It seems like they've turned this small patrol camp into an emergency hideout."
We scaled down the cliff and landed in the cave, triggering an explosion of Ord from the guards stationed at the entrance. They poised to strike, but their aggression softened when they recognized our human form, especially after they caught a glimpse of my face. It appeared that my previous water barrier had left a lasting impression on some of them.
“Come on in,” one of the guards waved us in. As soon as we entered, I first noticed the cold. But that only lasted for a second because of what I saw next.
Inside, the scene was heartbreaking. More than half of the exorcists present were wounded in some capacity. Some were missing limbs, and others lay comatose. The scent of disinfectant was overpowering, and the cave reverberated with groans of pain. The atmosphere was thick with despair and desperation.
As we settled into the cave, I couldn't help but notice the dismal state of the medical facilities. It was clear that they were ill-equipped to handle the injuries that the exorcists had sustained. I wished I could help, but I needed some time to recuperate myself. All the facilities were likely destroyed during the attack.
"Do you think someone will ask for your autograph?" Gem whispered.
I slapped him on the back of his neck, and he yelped. I looked at him sternly. "It isn't the best time to joke around like that."
"It was a serious question," he grumbled but no longer asked.
After asking around, we learned that the Moon Exorcist had erected a barrier to keep the demons at bay, and for now, they were safe. I found a quiet corner to lean on and took stock of the room.
I overheard some exorcists whispering amongst themselves, and since I was bored, I decided to eavesdrop on them.
"What should we do now?"
"That giant serpent should be now attacking the country's borders."
"Do you think any of the other exorcists stand a chance against that demon?"
"How the hell did the Magician seal the boss of a monster like that?"
One attack from Uwabami had left the exorcists injured and seeking refuge in this cave. It was hard to believe that such a powerful demon was an alcoholic, but the Sun Exorcist had managed to make it sober and save countless lives. It could have destroyed an entire country if it had continued its rampage.
Instead of chasing humans, Uwabami probably went to the Sake Mountains, which were said to be like volcanoes that shoot out alcohol. That was one of the territories where Yamata No Orochi used to live in the past.
Who said alcoholism never saved anyone?
Even though despair pervaded the atmosphere, I had grown accustomed to it. It was a strange sensation, but after facing countless demons and witnessing so much suffering, the despondency of the exorcists around me no longer affected me like it used to.
Still, it was essential to remain vigilant, even in the relative safety of this hideout. Exorcists were very good at killing their fellow humans; some would say they were better than most demons.